Reflection
by Tassie Taker
Summary: "Falric, Marwyn. Bring their corpses to my chamber when you are through." "No! You wont deny me this Arthas!" Without a second thought for the group of Alliance Heroes that had accompanied her into the sealed halls of the Lich King she ran after him. - Jaina's experiance in the Halls of Reflection while the party is fighting Falric and Marwyn. ArthasxJaina


The hulking mass of dark iron turned swiftly on his heel as he finished his commands to the two men that had stood as still as stone and few feet away either side of an ornate alter where an icy blade had floated eerily, the coldness was stinging her face and became even more prominent as tears fell from her light blue eyes.

"No! You won't deny me this Arthas!"

Without a second thought for the group of Alliance Heroes that had accompanied her into the sealed halls of the Lich King she ran after him, a swift incarnation allowing her though the large sliding doors that were closing rapidly, a mage delegate from the Kirin Tor was not so lucky, being struck down by a stray bullet that had been fired by one of the ghostly visages that had been summoned. A cold and hallow laugh echoed across the iron walls and floors of the hallway she now found herself in, and she took each following step carefully and with deep thought, once false move and it would be all over in an instant.

"There is no need to be so cautious with me, Jaina…"

The voice made her heart skip a beat, it was different from the one that had spoken before, not deep and gravely with an unnatural hum, but strong and pleasing to the ear, each word was spoken with great confidence, as if his voice had been trained to speak that way. But the coldness was still there, and that undeniable resonating power.

"I know very well that I need to be cautious with you."

Another laugh; "Yes, you never know when something might blindside you."

It was sudden and shocking, something cold and icy hit her face so fast that it made her jump; she carefully brought her hand to her cheek and felt something cool and soft, flecked with ice. He had thrown a snowball at her. To the outsider it may have seemed as if the mighty Lich King had challenged one of the greatest Mages of the age to a snowball fight. But the significance of what had been used on her had not been lost, images of a grassy meadow, awaking alone under the cover of a tree, being slightly afraid, until the unexpected projectile had it her, ammo of her own being rolled to her from a nearby bush. Then being cold, shivering, large warm arms covering her, then a kiss, her first kiss. The sound of fighting brought her back to the present, yells and screams from her room behind her and she felt a sudden pang of regret for leaving those she had asked to join her to face the danger in there alone.

"Stop it. I'm not here to play games."

She felt a sudden constriction around her middle, a thin purple light had encircled her waist, suddenly pulling her forwards, rushing her though the long hallway with shocking speed, when the light finally dissipated her eyes widened. She was in a large round room, familiar, but so alien, the room was encircled by balconies soft dark drapes sat on the floor of each and hung down to the floor, long enough to fold itself on the ground. In the middle of the floor of the room was a mural, that a ray of light from an glassed hole from the ceiling above, the mural was a circular pattern, adorned with runes and skulls, all etched in silver, while an stylised arrow pointed towards the opposite side of the room, where, in an pointed alcove sat a grey throne, embellished with the same silver as the floor; whatever detail may have gone into it was obscured by the large armoured figure that sat upon it, with the same dark colourings as the one she had chased after not moments ago. A pointed helm sat carefully on one of the arms of the throne, allowing her full view of his face. A face she had dreamt about for nights on end, one she had been longing to see for seven long years… but it wasn't the same as it had been, gone was the soft peach skin, replaced by cracked pale grey, no longer did soft blonde locks frame his face, replaced by grey damaged hair… she steadied herself as she looked into his eyes, longing to see that gorgeous green blue, but it too, was gone, replaced by an icy blue glow… but despite it all everything that had made him handsome was still there, even that sly smirk that played on his full lips even now, even if his slouched posture and his head resting idly on his hand that sat upon the opposite arm of the throne made out that he was extremely bored.

"Hmm, and here I thought you enjoyed snow ball fights… I mean really;" He motioned his hand to the open archway to his side; "Plenty of ammunition."

She was visibly uncomfortable by the memory that phrase made swell in her mind, causing her to shake her head roughly.

"I know what you're trying to do, stop it."

He laughed again, but it wasn't the same as the cold ones he had used before, it was almost his own, but still full of malice.

"I'm not trying to do anything Jaina." A pause; "Well, not right now anyway. The path this conversation is traveling may ca-"

"Why?"

It had burst out of her before she could stop it, the one question that haunted her very being, every moment of every long drawn out day.

"I do not know if I can truly answer that, Jaina." He rose from the throne and took two long strides towards and she did not allow herself step backwards. "The allure of power has broken greater men than I."

She wanted to move away, jump backwards, blast him away with a well-timed firebolt, but as he placed his leather gloved hand on her face she was unable to move, her body betraying her as she leaned into his long wanted touch, causing a familiar smile on the face before her.

"It doesn't have to be this way; we don't have to be enemies anymore."

She couldn't speak, she couldn't move as his lips came down on hers with fiery passion and despite her best efforts to resist the yearning in the back of her mind that had always betrayed her when he did this, she leaned in, placing her arms around his neck, her skin freezing as she bumped the large shoulder guards of his armour as he placed his hand round her waist and pulled her in closer. Pulling back from the kiss he guided her head into his chest while he placed his on top of her like they had done so many times, all those years ago.

"It can be like I promised... like we wanted."

The sound of the sliding doors opening was like a snap, her mouth was formed in away as if she had been about to agree with him, like she was about to accept an offer.

"_You will be in his domain, young one. I do not doubt that the man you loved is gone, and what remains will attempt whatever it can to get you by its side. His magic's are strong, and are likely to confuse and control even you for a time."_

Aegwynn's voice and warning mad her snap upright and with her mind cleared she blasted the hulking mass that had been holding her away with a large fireball.

"A pity…" That cold, callous voice, dark and gravely, was back. "The Scourge would have done well with you willingly, but no matter, Jaina Proudmoore; I will have you, one way or another."

He placed the helm back upon his head, the glowing from his eyes becoming a thin mist, billowing from the helm.

"One thing is now clear to me; you are no longer my Arthas. The Heroes that I have brought with me are defeating your defences as we speak and will be here within moments."

With a swift trust of her hand she erected an icy barrier around herself, and steeled herself for the battle to come.

"Let them come, they will all serve the Scourge in the end."

Choking back new tears, she answered his challenge and the sound of spells and clattering steel echoed the room.


End file.
